Pipe rotating apparatus



June 21, 1932. W Wb W|| SON Filed Oct. 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet `l l ffy/2f 47 #w u nmlmu f5 f f2. l

yun f3.1 32 27 '4f 4f www MaI/zeg June 21, 1932. W. W W|LSON v 1,864,389

PI PE ROTAT ING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES WILLIAM WEBSTER WILSON, OF .LOS .ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 'PIPE ROTATING APPARATUS Application led .October ,20, 1928. Serial No. 313,725.

"This invention has :to do generally with pipe rotating apparatus, and "is `more particularly :concerned with apparatus for frotating drill stems or 'well :casings during .the drilling of oil or artesian wells.

The device may be used either torrota'ting drill stems to give `,drilling motion 'to the stern-carried bit, or'maybe employed infmaking and'breaking thefthreadedj oints bywhich the lengths oit drill stem l'or well casing yare detachably connected, `though I will vdescribe only one yof .these applications. It will "be imderstood, however, that this choice .for fpurposes of descriptionii's in no way `to :be considered as limited on the invention, considered in its broadera'spects, for the device may be used in anysituation where conditions permit.

It has been com rnon pracftice'to rotate pipe stringsfor couplings thereoi'by drivingly iconnecting a. usual rotary table to the pipe through .a driving retable-carrie'd 'goaround post 'which `engages the handle Vof pipe encircling tongs. Howevenfoertain :conditions have existed 'which preventthe use in such an assembly or -combination oft tongs of that `general type 'characterized .as a 4plurality of relatively :movable `Work .fencifrclin'g jaws or ygripping 'members pivoted 'to the handle in such a manner `thatswinging'movement of the handle with relation tos'said'jaws causesV Athem to be constricted or vopened. These conditions arise from the .inherent nature of such tongs, for the -jaws v:and their pivotal connections with the handle neces; sarily extend radiallyfrom the pipe to :such an extent that there Ais insufficient `room beyond the swinging connection to apply the go around post to the tongs handle, ,it `being understood that such handles 'heretofore have always been straight or adapted to extend substantially radially from the pipe. However, Vthe main yobjection to the use of this type of tongs in this particular situation arises llrom the fact that the rapid rotation ofthe tongs tends, through centrifugal action, i i.

to `throw the jaws open, or conversely, to swing the handle towards a jaw .opening yposition, ycentrifugal action as :applied to'ft'he straight handle being ineffective to resist such movement. It is found that where 'the degree v'of resistance to pipe rotation .is relative-ly slight, the pipe then tends to spinahead of the table, land `as a result the :tongs handle tends to `draw `away from vthe ygo around post and :thefnormal tongs tightening-effect ofthe post against the :handle is lost. Once the jaws have been opened vor relieved from `tight constriction about the gpipe, all control over the pipe by the tongs is lost, and this-control cannot Vbe regained until 'the pipe has been brought ato rest, to obvious disadvantage.

It is therefore among the principal fob-jects of ,my .invention to provide an apparatus wherein tongs off the above described type may `be utilized efficiently, it being -well fun-- derstood that this vtype `of tongs has many point-s offsuperiority over other types. Iaccomplish `my end generally fby `disposingfthe tongs handle :in such a manner that its center Yorf mass :is horizontally, angularly spaced, with 'respect Vto Athe Ypipe, from the swing-ing conneotionbetween the handles and j awsfthe point of vswinging being in advance of the center of mass when the table is-rotated in 'a given direction. :By virtue Yof vthisdisposition. lcentrifugal force acting on the handle tends to swing it in a jaw closing direction and -cou'n'tera'cts or over-powers the lcentrifugal force Aacting on the jaws. This eiect'is gained even thoughthe jaws be heavier than the handle, dueto the mechanical advantage possessed by. the handle or lever since it must necessarily be more distant from the pipe axis or axis of tong rotation than are the. jaws. It follows .that .dueto Vthe constant tendency of the handle ftomove in a jaw constricting dif rection, the aws constantly have gripping enga-gement with Ithe pipe irrespectivefof 'variations in rotational speed and in resistance to pipe rotation.

The most feasable way of disposing the handles center of mass in the manner designed, is to bend the handle horizontally, or expressed otherwise, to provide an angular handle. This angularity also overcomes the condition mentioned above as being one which prevents the use of usual tongs of this type by reason of the lack of radially measured run between the pipe and the go-around post, for the angularity of the handle brings the free end thereof into angularly spaced rela-tion with the pivotal connection between the handle and jaws, and there is plenty of run measured radially beyond the pipe and the points spaced angularly from the swinging connection.

In place of merely allowing the go-around post to drivingly engage the tongs handle, I prefer to provide a pivotal connection between handle and post, the tongs thusbeing supported for bodily movement about a vertical aXis, though this vertical axis' is oset from the axis of the go-around post. By virtue of this arrangement. the `tongs are supported from the table and may be swung with ease into and out of work engaging position. this being in contradistinction to the usual tongs which,due to their weight and bulk, Vordinarily are suspended from above by a cable connection and hence must be guided carefully into and out of workengaging' position. This pivotal connection between the tongs handle and go-around post is such, however, that movement of the handle in a jaw constricting direction, either through manually applied or centrifugal force. is allowed. It will be understood, also, that the provision of this pivotal connection is in no way limitative on my invention, considered in its broader aspects, for the device is fullyV operative without such connection. When this connection is used, it will be apparent from the following description, that the tongs aws are connectedto thego-around post through a toggle joint, this toggle including the tongs handle and a head which is pivotally connected both to the handle and to the post, and by reason of this toggle joint the rotative advancing force of the post tends also to move the handle in a jaw constricting direction.

Other features of novelty and objects of the invention will be made apparent in the following detailed description. referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of arrow 3, parts beingshown in medial section.

In the drawings I have illustrated a socalled universal rotary 10 of the make-up and break-out type, this rotary being made up of the gear or go-around table 11 which is adapted to be rotated from power shaft 12 through gears 13, and the central spider 14 which includes the usual register bushings 15 and segmental slips 16. In this type of rotary, table 10 and spider 14 are adapted to be revolved as one through gears 13 when the drill pipe is rotated for drilling purposes; but when the pipe joints are to be made or broken, spider 14 is held against rotation and table 11 is rotated thereabout. In this latter case, slips 16 hold pipe length 18 from rotation, while connection is made between table 11 and pipe length 19 to make or break the threaded joint at 20 between the pipe lengths. This connection is made through the tongs generally indicated at 21 and the driving or go-around post generally indicated at 22, the tongs being applied to length 19, and the post being applied to table 11 near one end and to the tongs near its other end. It follows that rotation of table 11 causes rotation of length 19. Y Y

The drawings showing this type of table and the above brief description thereof are given merely for illustrative purposes and are in no-way to be considered as limitative as 'it will be readily apparent that the invention may be embodied in connection with a standard rotary wherein thev entire table revolves and one pipe is held against rotation by back-up tongs, or that the invention may be embodied either in a standard or univer-- sal rotaryiwherein the driving connection between the table and pipe is utilized for rotating an entire drill stem to give drilling motion to a bit carried thereby.

The tongs utilized in the apparatus may be generally characterized as a plurality of relatively movable work-gripping members pivoted to a handle and adapted to encircle work, the jaws being so connected with the handle that swinging movement of the handle with relation to the jaws causes said jaws to be constricted or opened. I have here shown a particular tongs of this type and will enter into a. brief description thereof', but this showing and description are merely illustrative and not limitative on the invention, though they will make it appa-rent to those skilled in the art howl other tongs of this general type may be embodied in my apparatus.

Tongs 21 include a handle 23 to which areV pivoted, at 24 and 25, respectively, two of the pipe encircling segments orjaws 26 and 27, which may be referred to as inner jaws. The two pivots 24 and 25 are offset in such a manner that swinging movement of the handle will constrict the pipe encircling segments or jaws Vabout the pipe, as will be well understood. While the details of construction of the pipe encircling elements need not be gone into here, I may briefly point out that these segments are arranged in two series, the segments of each series being pivotally interconnected with one another, and each series being made up of two segments. Thus, two outer segments or jaws 28 and 29 are pivoted at 30 and 31. respectively, to two segments 26 and 27, and the four segments together are adapted to encircle pipe 18 or the coupling element 32 thereof. The outer end of segment 28 is provided with latch lugs 33, here shown as two in number and vertically spaced apart as indicated in Fig. 3. The endof segment 29 is provided with a pivoted latch 34 mounted on pivot pin 35 and spring pressed as by a spring 36, in the direction indicated by varrow a in Fig. 2, so the latch is at all times pressed inwardly towards lugs 33. In the particular form of latch herein illustrated, said latch has a relatively narrow shank 37 that extends between spaced lugs 33, but this latch characteristic as well as the above mentioned details are not essential to the invention, though they provide a-superior type of tongs. Adjustment of the tongs is facilitated by the use of handles 29a.

Handle 23 is so disposed that itsfcenter of mass, located for instance at some point P, is angularly spaced, with respect to coupling 32. from the swinging connection, generally indicated at 38, and provided by pivot pins 24 and 25, the tongs being arranged on the pipe but being turned top for bottom or vice versa so, with the table 11 vrotated in a given direction, the point of swinging connection is in advance of the center of mass of the handle. This condition is brought about most easily by merely bending the handle as clearly shown in Fig. 2, though it will be readily understood that this bending' or angularity of the handle is not essential to the accomplishment of the purpose, since the same effect may be gained by the use of a straight or tapered handle having a preponderance of weight at one side of the swinging connection.. My broader claims, therefore, are not to be considered as limited to the use of an angular handle, as shown, though this angularity is ordinarily desirable inasmuch as it places the free terminal 39 of the handle ata point well spaced angularly from connection 38, and thus eliminating all interference between the tongs and post which would otherwise exist by reason of the bulk of the tongs at the swinging connection.

Without regard to the particular means connecting the post 22 and handle 23, for such connecting means are not at all essential to the invention, considered in its broader aspects. and therefore not to be considered limitative thereon, and assuming that the post is adapted to engage handle 23 in a manner to move the tongs with the table vin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, it will be seen that the centrifugal force acted on hanlof pipe gripping position.

hemechanical advantagehad by the handle due to its distance from the axis of` tongs rotation with relation to the distance of the jaws from said axis, enables the handle continuously to exert constricting force on the jaws even though said jaws maybe heavier than the handle. i

I/Vhen the pipe is to be rotated in the direction opposite that indicated in Fig. 2, the

tongs are merely turned top for bottom and the table is rotated in the opposite direction.

I will now describe the preferred type of go-around post and connection between said post and handle 23. Post 22 is set in table socket 40 and a head member 41 is slidable vertically or longitudinally over this post. Head 41 includes a vertical body portion 42, spaced hubs 43 and 44 at one side of portion 41, and vertically spaced ears 45 at the op-l posite side of said vertical portion. Hubs 43 and 44 are vertically bored at 46 and have sliding lit with post 22, while ears 45 support pivot pin 47, said pin being parallel with post 22 but being horizontally offset therefrom. Head 41 is capable of rotation about post 22, and is yieldably held against movement downwardly along said post by a spring 48 which encircles the post between hubs 43, 44, said spring being secured at its lower end 49 to the post at a point spaced above hub 44, and the upper end of the spring engaging a washer 50 which provides a shoulder for supporting hub 43.

The end 39 of handle 23 extends between ears 45 and is pivotally connected to head 41v by pin 47. While spring 48 supports head 41, it allows suicient vertical movement in either directon thereof to allow limited vertical movement of the tongs 'in either direction so said tongs may be applied to the pipe or pipe couplings at points spaced at different-'heights above table 11, and so, in the event the pipe should settle or drop slightly after the tongs have been applied, the tongs may settle freely with the pipe in place of handle 23 being eX- posed to bending strains. The pivotal connection between the head and post and between the head and tongs handle allows freedom of swinging movement to the handle to and from jaw constricting positions.

Since pivot pin 47 is arranged so it lies between post 22 and swinging connection 38,

the advancing force of the'post'intending to move said post towards point 38 and the posts consequent tendency to swing head 41 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, necessarily tends to swing end 38 outwardly from the work and hence towards jaw constricting position. The pivotal connection between the handle and post also allows adjustment of the assembly which will compensate for any eccentricity of pipe rotation or inaccuracies in applying the tongs to the work. Furthermore, this pivotal connection is of advantage inasmuch as it allows the tongs to be swung horizontally into and out of work engaging position, in contradistinction to the usual support which consists of an overhead suspension cable and which necessitates the tongs being guided carefully into and out of pipe engaging position.

It will be seen that handle 23 and head 41 may be considered as a toggle joint connection between the jaws of the tongs and the goaround post, and also that in place of considering head 41 as a connecting member between the handle and post 22 that it may be considered as one of the parts making up a two-part go-around or driving post, the two parts being capable of relative rotation and also of relative longitudinal movement, the relative longitudinal movement being yieldably resisted in one direction. Furthermore, the head and ears and head 45 may be regarded as a toggle link connecting the post with arm 23, the link then being yieldably supported on the post.

The manner in which the toggle connection comprising arm 23 and the ear 45 serves to maintain a positive driving connection between the go-around post and the arm, may be seen from consideration of the relative movement of these parts during operation of the invention. Thus, the arm during increasing speeds of rotation, tends to move outward, due to centrifugal force, in the general direction of arrow M, the pivot 47 carried by ear 45 simultaneously moving outward along arc A having its center coincident with that of the go-around post 22. If the speed of rotation decreases, arm 23 tends to move inward somewhat in a direction opposite of arrow M, and pivot 47 moves inward, with respect to the pipe joint 32, along arc A. It is to be noted, however, that due to the toggle action of the parts, positive driving connection between post 22 and the arm is maintained even at decreasing speeds, and therefore no slack is permitted that will tend to cause the tongs to loosen their grip on the pipe. This condition obviously would not prevail should mere direct pivotal connection be made between the end 39 of the arm and the go-around post.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided an apparatus which permits of ready application to and release from the work and that the features of a` tongs depending upon relative movement between the handle and jaws for constricting said jaws, is taken full advantage of.

It will be understood the drawings and description are to be considered merely as illustrative of and not restrictive on the broader claims appended hereto, for various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of said claims.

I claim: Y

1. In apipe rotating apparatus, a rotary table, a driving post carried by the table, and tongs adapted to be applied to the pipe and to be operatively engaged by the post when so applied, said tongs being characterized as a handle and a plurality of relatively movable parts pivoted to the handle and adapted to encircle the pipe, said parts being so connected with the handle that swinging movement of the handle withV relation to said parts causes the parts to be constricted or opened with vrespectto the pipe; the portion of the handle where the pivotal Connection is made extending substantially radially with respect to the pipe, and the portion of the handle engaged by the post extending at substantially right angles with respect to the iirst mentioned portion, the center of mass of the handle being displaced a substantial distance to one side of a line drawn through the swinging center of the handle and the aXis of the pipe.

2. In pipe rotating apparatus, a rotary table, a driving post carried by the table, and tongs adapted to be applied to the pipe and to be operatively engaged by the post when so applied, said tongs being characterized as a handle, and a plurality of relatively movable parts pivoted to the handle and adapted to encircle the pipe, said parts being so connected with the handle that swinging movement of the handle with relation to said parts causes the parts to be constricted or opened with respect to the pipe; said handle being bent at substantially right angles in the direction opposite that in which it is swung to constrict the parts, whereby the center of mass of the handle is horizontally displaced a substantial distance to one side of a line drawn through the swinging center of the handle and the axis of said pipe.

3. In pipe rotating apparatus, a rotary table, a driving post carried by the table, and tongs adapted to be applied to the pipe and to be operatively engaged by the post when so applied, said tongs being characterized as a handle, and a plurality of relatively movable parts pivoted to the handle and adapted to encircle the pipe, said parts being so connected with the handle that swinging movement of the handle with relation to said parts causes the parts to be Constricted or opened with respect to the pipe; said handle being bent at substantially right angles llC in the direction opposite that in which it is swung to constrict the parts, whereby the center of mass of the handle is horizontally displaced a substantial distance to one side of a line drawn through the swinging center of the handle and the axis of said pipe; and a link pivotally connected to the outer end of said handle and pivotally connected to the driving post, said link and handle comprising a toggle connection between the driving post and the pipe encircling parts.

In witness that I claim the foregoing 1 have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day of October, 1928.

WILLIAM WEBSTER WILSON. 

